I don’t how to start knitting. Any ideas?Thanks:
Get yourself some knitting needles and some yarn and watch the videos linked at the top of the page. If you have trouble putting the cast on the first row together watch the “demo of a small project” on the tips page in the video section. For beginners I recommend -
Needles - US 9 or 10
Yarn - light colored, worsted weight, smooth yarn (No fuzzy yarn) Worsted weight will usually have a 4 on the label.
I’m still a beginner, having finished 3-4 easy projects (cowls and hats), but here are some things that I wished I had known in the beginning.
- Good patterns websites:
A very pretty picture of a finished object became my very first motivation for knitting/crocheting. But you need a pattern to know how to get there. I highly recommend browsing through knitting websites such as
www.ravelry.com. I especially recommend this one because not only you get information for patterns, but also for yarns and all the good reviews from the users.
Since we’re all beginners, don’t choose a project that requires a long time of concentration + accuracy. Intricate details of a lace shawl sure are beautiful but we won’t be able to handle them…simply. Chunky yarns are definitely a hot trend this year so why not go with the chunky ones that give you wonderful stitch definition (unless you’re choosing a very fluffy yarn) and plus faster knitting? Patterns with repetitive design (i.e. knit the whole row and the purl the next row and etc.) will definitely help you master one or two techniques at a time and help your hands move faster as they learn.
- yarn yarn yarn…
This one’s hard. Do you want your finished object to be machine-washable? If yes, only buy the ones that say machine-washable on them. A lot of the yarns requires delicate care and machine washing is not an option for them.
If you’re willing to hand-wash everything, then please do remember to make a gauge or swatch, which is a 4x4 inch square of a “sample” that you test before actually starting on a project. Even if you hand wash the item, the item can grow bigger (bloom) or smaller because the strands in the yarn begin to interact with water. Each yarn will behave different every time so you really have to experiment with them first. Take your swatch, wash and dry just like you would with the finished object and measure the length and height. Then calculate stitches/inch to finally compare it to the pattern you’re using. For more information regarding how to make a swatch, browse in this forum to get the experts’ help!
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Needles
I heard bamboo was good for beginners since it has more grip to the yarn so the stitch will less likely fall out from the needle. Metal needles give less friction so you’ll be able to work faster. -
casting on, increasing, decreasing, and casting off.
Knittinghelp.com is awesome on this subject and really helped me start and finish my projects with the methods I really liked. There are several methods in doing casting on and casting off and they’ll give you a different look on the edges so take time to learn which is best for your project. -
Ask for help here!
Whenever I had major problems, I always used the expert’s advices here in knittinghelp.com’s forum and they are very responsive and helpful.
Good luck on your first project!
I recommend taking a class at a yarn shop instead of watching videos. I’d learned to knit in 4-H as a child but hadn’t knit in years, so I took a beginning knitting class. I met nice people and learned many wonderful things, including how to fix mistakes without starting over! The class was well worth the cost. If you truly can’t afford a fee, seek out a knitting group; knitters are often happy to help a beginner, especially if you bring good snacks to the meetings!
I am new to knitting as well and I am learning from the videos linked at the top of the page, this forum (people here have been super), and searching on youtube has loads of great tutorials, you just have to watch a few until you find the one you like/understand best. We all learn differently.
Hi, I am Nancy from USA just join this community need your welcome hope that i ll gain so much from here.
I started 3 years ago and got better quickly, especially using this site. I knitted dishcloths that included the knit stitch and the purl stitch and also increases and decreases. The pattern was from the I Taught Myself to Knit book from Walmart. After that I’ve been able to pick up other things pretty easy.
I had no experience previously.
Good Luck!
Kyle
Pastor’s wife and homeschooling mom of 6